


Wanna Be Your Left Hand Man

by entertheinferno



Category: Captain America (Movies), Captain America - All Media Types, Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Bucky has a dog, Fluff, M/M, Steve is an artist, dogs make everything better actually, no one is dead, which is technically irrelevant to the plot but whatever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-13
Updated: 2014-08-13
Packaged: 2018-02-13 01:24:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,358
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2131767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/entertheinferno/pseuds/entertheinferno
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Hey uh... I think my dog likes your dog"</p>
            </blockquote>





	Wanna Be Your Left Hand Man

**Author's Note:**

> inspired by this [post](http://aerynlallaboso.tumblr.com/post/91249250556/reached-for-the-last-snack-item-at-the-same-time)
> 
> cross-posted on my tumblr [here](http://feiully.tumblr.com/post/94657138386/v-short-stucky-fic-for-avenqcrs-bc-you-asked-and-i)
> 
> title from riptide by vance joy bc i'm trash

“Hey, uh.... I think my dog likes your dog.”

 

Steve stares up, trying to shade the sun from his eyes so he can see more than the silhouette of a figure standing above him.

 

Whoever it is is broad, with hair in need of a cut, and he has a dog leash wrapped around his wrist, holding back a pretty, blue-eyed husky who's frolicking in circles around Wash. For his part, Wash just wags his tail, bumping his nose against the other dog's front legs when he comes close.

 

It's too bright out for this to work with Steve laying back in the grass. He shuts his sketchbook, pushing it off his lap, and stands up, blinking away the sunspots from his eyes.

 

“Yeah, looks that way.” Steve says, when he can finally see, glancing from the two dogs rolling around in the grass, and the guy in front of him.

 

It takes a minute, but when Steve finally stops for long enough to actually get a good look at him, Steve is floored by how gorgeous the guy is, forget about his dog. He's got broad shoulders, dark hair and eyes, a sharp jawline, and the curve of his lips is teasing and flirty. He's got the kind of good looks that are timeless. He looks like he stepped out of a photograph, threw on a pair of torn up jeans and a flannel, and walked into modern day Brooklyn.

 

“Your dog's beautiful.” Steve says, and his eyes never leave the guy's face.

 

He smiles, and it's wide and bright and kind and Steve is compelled to draw it, to capture the way it changes the guy's face from brooding and mysterious to something entirely different. The guy's cheeks color slightly and he ducks his head. “Giz c'mere.” He calls, reaching out to run his hand through his dog's fur when it comes toward him.

 

“Thanks, she's pretty great. I'm Bucky.” He says, meeting Steve's eyes again, smile still in place, but softer, now.

 

“Steve.” Steve says, holding out his hand. “And this is Wash.” He gestures to the golden retriever, who's lying on his back now, tongue lolling, grinning up at them all. “It's nice to meet you both.”

 

“Nice to meet you too.” Bucky grins down at Wash, and Steve is content to stay there and stare for the rest of the morning, but his phone goes off in his pocket.

 

He swears softly, and pulls it out, ignoring Bucky's quiet chuckle. It's a text from Sam, reminding him that they have to go meet with the owner of the gallery they're looking at for Steve's next show. The meeting's in an hour, and Sam is supposed to pick Steve up from his apartment in twenty minutes.

 

“Shit.” Steve says, louder this time, and Bucky shakes his head, still smiling. “Trouble?”

 

“Forgot about a meeting. I've gotta run, c'mon Wash, buddy.” Steve says, and Wash rolls onto his feet, staying still while Steve hooks the lead onto his collar.

 

“Sorry about this.” Steve says, despite the fact that they're practically strangers.

 

Bucky just waves him off. “No problem. Good luck at your meeting?” Steve shrugs, smiling, and Bucky grins back. “See you around.”

 

Steve really hopes so.

 

\- - -

 

The meeting goes great, and they set a date for the opening and the length the show will stay in the gallery. It's the biggest body of work Steve has ever had to prepare for a show, and Natasha is pulling strings to get some big-whigs to attend the opening reception.

 

Steve is nervous and elated, and it shows in the way his schedule shifts. He starts walking Wash three times a day, spending almost an hour in the park each time, sketching people and ideas for pieces. He stresses himself out too much if he's in the studio for too long, which is why Sam has started kicking him out around lunch time, shoving Wash's leash into his hand and telling him to go out.

 

He hasn't seen Bucky again, and it feels stupid, but he can't help the fact that he's nursing a ridiculous crush on the guy. He wants to draw him, and wants to listen to him talk about everything. He's wrapped himself around Steve's head and it's infuriating. Especially since he doesn't even know if he'll see him again.

 

His sketches are messy and disconnected, with no purpose to them, and he pretends he hasn't noticed the shadow of a jawline, the purposefully slouched posture, the delicate fingers of a prosthetic arm.

 

He's not getting any of his work done, and he has three more pieces to finish in two weeks.

 

“You look a little frustrated.” Steve jerks, dropping his pen into the grass. Bucky is standing over him, smiling softly, holding back Giz, who's straining at her leash to try and get to Wash.

 

“You could say that, yeah.” Steve says, smiling sheepishly, and Bucky nods, letting Giz go and sitting down next to Steve, crossing his legs under him.

 

“Workin' on somethin'?”

 

Steve shrugs, glancing down at his sketchbook. “I'm supposed to be.”

 

“Well, clearly that's not happening. Let's get lunch.”

 

“What?” Bucky rolls his eyes. He stands up and reaches down to grab Steve's hand and tug him up.

 

“Lunch. Lunch date. Puppy lunch date. The dogs can cause havoc, you can avoid your work, I can smile at you a lot. It'll be great.”

 

Steve can tell he's blushing, can feel the red flush of his cheeks and he doesn't want to be smiling, he wants to be scowling at Bucky because this is ridiculous, but that doesn't change the fact that he is, and Bucky still has his hand in his, and he's twining their fingers together, all sweet and smooth and who the hell is gonna say no to that.

 

“You like Thai food? There's a Thai place two blocks away with outdoor seating. It's supposed to be good.”

 

“Or we could get pizza across the street?” Steve says, because he's not sure his stomach can take that much excitement in one day.

 

“Ok, pizza's good.”

 

Steve smiles and Bucky grins back, letting go of his hand and picking up Giz's leash off the ground. Steve grabs Wash's and stuffs his things into his bag. They walk side by side, talking the whole time.

 

Bucky's smart and snarky, and Steve gives back as good as he gets. It's easy, and somehow Steve isn't surprised at all.

 

He's always loved thinking about reincarnation; soul mates and all that crazy stuff, meeting someone from another life and knowing, somehow. Being with Bucky kind of feels like that, in a weird way. It just feels like he belongs.

 

They get four slices of pizza and sit outside at one of the little tables. Steve feeds Wash his crust and Giz stares up at Bucky until he gives in and takes half the cheese off of one of his pieces and feeds it to her.

 

Steve keeps catching Bucky staring at him, mouth curved into a soft ghost of a smile. Like he's just remembered something he'd forgotten, like Steve's changed everything in some massive, amazing way. It's scary, and it makes his heart flutter weakly in his chest.

 

“You keep staring at me.” Steve says finally, because it's overwhelming.

 

Bucky doesn't even flinch, doesn't apologize, just leans back in his chair, stretching like a cat, and grins at him, all teeth. “At least I'm not sketching you.”

 

“Jerk.” Steve blushes.

 

“Punk.” Bucky says back.

 

Bucky walks him back to the studio, bumping their shoulders together occasionally.

 

“Thanks for lunch.” Steve says, lingering in the doorway under the pretense of letting Wash say goodbye.

 

Bucky smiles. “Your treat next time.”

 

Steve hums in response, quietly elated. He catches Bucky's eye and Bucky blinks, almost like he's steeling himself, and steps forward, pressing his mouth against Steve's.

 

It's a chaste kiss, soft and gentle and Steve smiles against Bucky's mouth, trying to stop himself from laughing because now is not the time.

 

Bucky smiles back, and pulls away, ducking his head.

 

“I'll see you around?”

 

“Yeah.” Steve says, and it's a promise.

 


End file.
